How should I organize the first meeting with a potential dog borrower?

If you have messaged back and forth with a local dog borrower and wish to meet him/her, please adhere to these guidelines for the best results:

• Suggest meeting in a public place. Preferably a natural outdoor environment rather than a cramped café or coffee shop.
• Definitely take your dog with you. After all, it’s your dog that has to get on well with any new friend. That way it becomes immediately clear whether the chemistry, authority and heartiness are there.
• Even if your dog and his/her new acquaintance don’t jump with joy at the first meeting, or the potential borrower is a little unsure how to deal with your dog’s peculiarities – it’s no problem: Hundelieb members often meet several times for walks or on visits to the owner’s home before the borrower is ready to look after a particular dog. If it’s not a good match, you can still cancel any further meetings.
• Only allow the dog borrower to meet your dog without you when you know your new acquaintance well enough and trust each other on a mutual basis.